Filling machines for filling containers are known. It is also known to purge the inside of a container before filling it. This is done by sealing the container against a filling element and allowing a purgative gas to fill the container. A typical purgative gas is carbon dioxide. It is also known to introduce the purgative gas along a vertical filling element axis and into the bottle interior, and to conduct away such gas from the bottle interior via a controlled gas-path.